Under San Zhang's guidance, Ye Yun and his group took a full half hour to reach the Yuele Mountains, bordering Hua Yi Nation and the A Nation. On the mountainside near the A Nation, snow lay thick, and a cluster of white buildings stood nestled there, almost imperceptible amidst the wind and snow.
Each structure occupied a platform of about an acre, surrounded by sheer cliffs, rendering them inaccessible by conventional means.
"Master, this is our Fo Lun Sect," San Zhang said, looking at the white-walled temples in the snow, his gaze complex.
"Oh? I always thought such places were uninhabitable. I never imagined a sect could exist at an altitude of over five thousand meters," Ye Yun said, hovering in the air. The swirling snowflakes melted three feet before reaching him.
He observed the dozen temples in the blizzard and was astonished to find his vast divine sense weakening the closer it got to the structures. Inside the temples, his divine sense strength dropped to less than seventy percent!
A thirty percent reduction in divine sense! This could not help but shock Ye Yun!
After all, Ye Yun's divine sense was far more potent than his own Great Sage-level power.
Most importantly, Ye Yun detected a faint spiritual energy within one of the Fo Lun Sect's courtyards!
In this era of declining spiritual energy, the world's spiritual essence had long been depleted. Yet, here, there was spiritual energy!
"Interesting!" Ye Yun's interest was immediately piqued. The more powerful he became, the more he realized how mysterious this Blue Star was. He suddenly recalled the former sacred lands of Hua Yi Nation, such as Kunlun and Penglai.
As Ye Yun surveyed the temples, five gray-robed monks flew out from within. They braved the wind and snow, landing directly before Ye Yun and his entourage.
My goodness, how profound was the heritage of the Fo Lun Sect? To think that mere individuals emerging from it were Heavenly Human realm powerhouses!
Flying through the air was something only Heavenly Human realm powerhouses could achieve. And the more than a hundred monks behind him were equivalent to over a hundred Heavenly Human powerhouses. Now, these individuals before him were clearly disciples of the Fo Lun Sect with no high standing.
However, these arriving monks were markedly different from the ascetic monks behind him.
They were all ruddy-faced with smooth, elastic skin. Even with their shaved heads, they exuded an aura of youthful beauty, like budding stars that could captivate the mundane world with a single glance.
Shaved heads and tonsure scars. Compared to San Zhang and his companions, who had unkempt, long hair like beggars, these gray-robed monks presented a striking visual contrast.
"True Lord, the formal disciples of the Fo Lun Sect have always numbered around two hundred. One hundred of them practice asceticism, known as ascetic monks. The remaining one hundred are stationed at the temple for cultivation. The ascetic monks manage thirty-six great temples and seventy-two Buddha-緣 agents across the world."
"Since the passing of the Senior Disciple Brother, I have been in charge of the ascetic monks and all secular affairs."
Upon seeing the figures approaching, San Zhang produced a Vajra Scepter from his Sumeru Ring. Simultaneously, his Vajra Bracelets spun, with one encircling his neck and the other hanging like a large earring on his right ear. His kasaya also gleamed with golden light, appearing exceptionally opulent from a distance.
"Greetings, Uncle Zhang! Your ascetic period is not yet complete, why have you returned to the temple so suddenly?" the five monks flew over, bowing to San Zhang.
The Fo Lun Sect had a rule: ascetic monks could only return to the temple for reporting and a one-month stay at the end of each year, during which they would also deliver requested supplies. They were not permitted to return without cause and disturb the cultivation of the temple's residents.
"Inform Second Disciple Brother that a True Lord has arrived and to hasten out and greet him!" The cultivation world not only valued strength but also profoundly emphasized seniority. Moreover, San Zhang, a cultivator of the Six Wheels realm, was considered the second most important figure in the Fo Lun Sect.
"Yes!" one of the gray-robed monks turned and departed. The other four, however, continued to block their path.
"San Zhang, why has your Fo Lun Sect established itself here? Is there any significance to it?" Ye Yun was quite curious about that spiritual energy.
The monks of the Fo Lun Sect were all cultivators. That faint spiritual energy was surely insufficient for their cultivation, yet it appeared ceaselessly, maintaining a subtle level.
"I am not entirely clear on the specifics. I only recall my master mentioning that the Tang Emperor desired the Western Sutras, and the娑婆 wished for the Eastern Vein." San Zhang ran his right hand, which had not been washed in an age, through his matted, dry, yellow hair.
"Eastern Vein?"
Another new term!
"Yes, but we are unsure what this Eastern Vein refers to."
Ye Yun asked no further, as inquiries would yield no results. These monks exuded an aura of mystery.
Just then, the gray-robed monk who had gone to report returned, followed by a monk in golden robes.
"Apologies, but the Buddha declares he will not see any True Lords, real or otherwise! Furthermore, Third Elder, it is not yet time. According to the rites, you ascetic practitioners are not yet permitted to enter!"
The golden-robed monk first cast a disdainful glance at Ye Yun, then turned and spoke coldly to San Zhang.
"What? Buddha? Jin Ming, has my senior brother broken through to the Eight Wheels realm?" San Zhang exclaimed in surprise upon hearing the golden-robed monk's words.
Ascetic monks achieved enlightenment through immersion in the world. While their realm progression might not be as rapid, their combat power was significantly superior to those of the same level.
"That is correct. My master broke through to the Buddha realm half a month ago. He is currently in seclusion to stabilize his realm. Therefore, Third Elder, please depart!" Jin Ming said indifferently, subtly rustling his robes, which were identical to San Zhang's kasaya, both bearing the mark of an elder.
"Little monk, the aura you possess is quite unique!" Ye Yun couldn't help but interject as he looked at Jin Ming, a faint pressure emanating from him!
"Aura? What aura do you perceive from me, benefactor?" Jin Ming turned, clasped his hands in greeting, and asked respectfully. His expression changed drastically as he found himself unable to move.
"The aura of the Buddha Clan!" Ye Yun smiled, stepped beside him, and gently flicked a finger. A muffled sound echoed in the air. Jin Ming, without any reaction, shattered into dust like a piece of porcelain, leaving not a drop of blood.
"Doing well as a Human Clan cultivator, but instead choosing to be a servant of the Buddha Clan. Pitiful. San Zhang, do you object to me killing him?" Ye Yun asked, looking at the buildings in the snow.
"Your subordinate dares not!" San Zhang immediately lowered his head. The remaining hundred-plus ascetic monks turned ashen and trembled in the air.
"You... you actually killed our Elder Jin! You are finished!" The five gray-robed monks, witnessing Jin Ming's fate, were so terrified their livers and gallbladders were splitting.
"Hmph!" Ye Yun ignored the five, spitting a thin stream of phlegm. Under his divine sense, it shot like a bullet, piercing their heads.
The disparity in power was too vast; they didn't even know how they died.
"Finally out?" Ye Yun chuckled under his divine sense, looking at the temple complex.